Menopause Wellbeing

 

Menopause is a significant workplace issue for many women. They often need extra support and guidance to navigate the physical, emotional, and psychological changes associated with this period.

Menopause is not limited to cisgender women. Individuals who are non-binary, transgender men, intersex, or anyone assigned female at birth (AFAB) can also experience menopause and its symptoms. This is often overlooked, leading to a lack of understanding, support, and resources for these individuals.

The impact extends beyond those experiencing menopause directly. Line managers and colleagues (regardless of gender) play a crucial role in creating a supportive environment. They need awareness and training to understand menopause, its symptoms, and available resources to effectively support their team members.

Here are some resources to support you through menopause, at work and at home.

 

Menopause ‘Tea and Talk’ for Staff 2025

Free Tea and coffee (why not bring your own lunch!)

 

What is it?

• Come and chat about perimenopause with the Menopause Champions
• Get some ideas and strategies that might help you, a friend, partner or colleague.
• Find out about becoming a Menopause Champion
• Helpful information to take away

 

When:

Thursday 13 March

Tuesday 13 May

Wednesday 9 July

Thursday 11 September

Wednesday 12 November

Drop in anytime between 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM

All welcome – no need to book

 

Venue:

Green Room, Healthcare Library, Block 29 SDH

Contact: The Menopause Champions

sft.menopausechampion@nhs.net

 

Menopause Champions

Menopause champions are volunteer staff who:

• Recognise that menopause can be an issue in the workplace and women need support.
• Talk openly, positively and respectfully about the menopause.
• Actively support and inform those affected by the menopause.
• Inform and educate their colleagues and managers to create a supportive, inclusive workplace.

To contact please email sft.menopausechampion@nhs.net and your email will be forwarded to one of the Menopause Champions. 

Alternatively click here to see contact a Menopause Wellbeing Champion directly

 

Menopause Workforce Pledge

Prioritising the health and wellbeing of our people is important here at Salisbury, which is why we’ve signed up to the Menopause Workforce Pledge and committed to:

Recognising that the menopause can be an issue in the workplace and women need support:

• Talking openly, positively and respectfully about the menopause
• Actively supporting and informing those affected by the menopause
• Informing and educating their colleagues, friends, and managers to create a supportive, inclusive workplace.

We also have a Trust Menopause Policy and Procedure and you can view that by clicking here.

 

Trust Menopause Policy

We want to ensure that all our staff are supported on menopause. The Trust has a Menopause Policy to support colleagues who are experiencing symptoms associated with the perimenopause and the menopause, including those symptoms which continue post menopause. The policy may also be used to support colleagues impacted by a family member’s menopause. You can view the Menopause Policy and Procedure by clicking here.

 

What is Menopause?

‘Menopause’ is a term used to describe the natural decline of a woman’s reproductive hormones, beginning typically between the ages of 45 to 55, although some women can experience symptoms earlier (peri-menopause). Common symptoms of menopause include hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes and sleep disturbances. All of which can result in an increase in anxiety and depression.

 

Is Menopause the same for everyone?

We recognise that not everyone experiencing the menopause will identify or express themselves as a woman. People who are non-binary, trans, intersex or male, may also experience menopausal symptoms and may also benefit from the resources available.

We hope that you find the below resources useful. If you do need any further support or guidance, please feel free to reach out to your Line Manager or any of our Menopause Champions who have the necessary training to support you.

 

Male Menopause ('Andropause')

Is there such a thing as a "male menopause"? The male menopause sometimes called the 'andropause' is an unhelpful term sometimes used in the media. The label is misleading because it suggests the symptoms are the result of a sudden drop in testosterone in middle age, similar to what occurs in the female menopause. This is not true. 

Although testosterone levels fall as men age, the decline is steady at about 1% a year from around the age of 30 to 40, and this is unlikely to cause any problems in itself.

Some men develop depression, loss of sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and other physical and emotional symptoms when they reach their late 40s to early 50s.

Other symptoms common in men this age are:

• mood swings and irritability
• loss of muscle mass and reduced ability to exercise
• fat redistribution, such as developing a large belly or "man boobs" (gynaecomastia)
• a general lack of enthusiasm or energy
• difficulty sleeping (insomnia) or increased tiredness
• poor concentration and short-term memory

These symptoms can interfere with everyday life and happiness, so it's important to find the underlying cause and work out what can be done to resolve it.

For more information on how to manage these symptoms click here.

Menopause Awareness Training (MLE) 

The module (which takes 20 minutes to complete) and has been developed specifically for NHS staff, covers everything from the common symptoms of the menopause to how it can impact people at work and how colleagues can support colleagues going through the transition.

Book onto the training through MLE.

 

Menopause and the Workplace

 

 

Menopause and HRT - Click the image below to view the webinar by Dr Kathryn Patrick

 

Awareness & Training Pack for Managers 

A training document created by NHS England & NHS Improvement focused on menopause awareness and why it is relevant to your organisations and to yourself can be accessed through the link below.

Why is the menopause relevant to our organisation and to me and my team?

 

Menopause in the Workplace: a toolkit for managers

MIPO (Menopause Information Pack for Organisations) has produced a great resource to embed menopausal support into the workplace

This is a great managers' toolkit. Menopause in the Workplace: a toolkit for managers. Includes links:

Working through menopausal transition: A collaborative tool for line managers and employees

Menopause-savvy conversations for line managers and supervisors

5-MINUTE MANAGER GUIDE: Menopause and Reasonable Accommodation Practices

5-MINUTE MANAGER GUIDE: Menopause-Related Absences

 

Other useful resources

Fact Sheet

Peri-Menopause/Menopause/Post Menopause

Andropause

SFT HealthCare Library - Menopause Resource List (April 2023)

A magazine dedicated to the Menopause. You can see past issues online for FREE by visiting Menopause Matters Magazine

Menopause Summit Full Programme Final 0524

 

NHS England

NHS England has worked closely with key partners including the Royal College of GPs, the British Menopause Society and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development to develop national menopause guidance for line managers and colleagues.

Download the guidance for Supporting our NHS people through menopause: guidance for line managers and colleagues

Download a checklist for employers

NHS Menopause Factsheet

Download the Mental health and emotional wellbeing in the perimenopause and menopause Booklet

Download the Living well through your perimenopause and menopause Booklet

Download Advice sheet for peri/menopause

Download Creating and working in a menopause confident organisation Booklet